of sharks and crocodiles, I saw in Ravana’s residence, the daughter of king Janaka, Sita, like unto the daughter of a celestial.  And having interviewed that lady, Vaidehi, Rama’s beloved, and burnt the whole of Lanka with its towers and ramparts and gates, and proclaimed my name there, I returned.  Hearing everything from me the lotus-eyed Rama at once ascertained his course of action, and having for the passage of his army constructed a bridge across the deep, crossed it followed by myriads of monkeys.  Then by prowess Rama slew those Rakshasas in battle, and also Ravana, the oppressor of the worlds together with his Rakshasa followers.  And having slain the king of the Rakshasas, with his brother, and sons and kindred, he installed in the kingdom in Lanka the Rakshasa chief, Vibhishana, pious, and reverent, and kind to devoted dependants.  Then Rama recovered his wife even like the lost Vaidic revelation.  Then Raghu’s son, Rama, with his devoted wife, returned to his own city, Ayodhya, inaccessible to enemies; and that lord of men began to dwell there.  Then that foremost of kings, Rama was established in the kingdom.  Thereafter, I asked a boon of the lotus-eyed Rama, saying, ’O slayer of foes, Rama, may I live as long as the history of thy deeds remaineth extant on earth!” Thereupon he said, ’So be it.  O represser of foes, O Bhima, through the grace of Sita also, here all excellent objects of entertainment are supplied to me, whoever abide at this place.  Rama reigned for the thousand and ten hundred years.  Then he ascended to his own abode.  Ever since, here Apsaras and Gandharvas delight me, singing for aye the deeds of that hero, O sinless one.  O son of the Kurus, this path is impassable to mortals.  For this, O Bharata, as also with the view that none might defeat or curse thee, have I obstructed thy passage to this path trod by the immortals.  This is one of the paths to heaven, for the celestials; mortals cannot pass this way.  But the lake in search of which thou hast come, lieth even in that direction.”

SECTION CXLVIII

Vaisampayana continued, “Thus addressed, the powerful Bhimasena of mighty arms, affectionately, and with a cheerful heart, bowed unto his brother, Hanuman, the monkey-chief, and said in mild words, ’None is more fortunate than I am; now have I seen my elder brother.  It is a great favour shown unto me; and I have been well pleased with thee.  Now I wish that thou mayst fulfil this desire of mine.  I desire to behold.  O hero, that incomparable form of thine, which thou at that time hadst had, in bounding over the main, that abode of sharks and crocodiles.  Thereby I shall be satisfied, and also believe in thy words.’  Thus addressed, that mighty monkey said with a smile, ’That form of mine neither thou, not any one else can behold.  At that age, the state of things was different, and doth not exist at present.  In the Krita age, the state of things was one; and in the Treta, another; and